New councillor for Trafford's Bucklow St Martins ward is Labour's Frances Cosby

Labour’s Frances Cosby has been elected as the new ward councillor for the Trafford ward of Bucklow St Martins. She beat her closest rival, - Conservative Paul Lally - 794 votes to 284 - to take the seat vacated by Adele New, who resigned as a councillor on September 20.

Reform UK Party candidate Paul Swansborough came in third with 82 votes, closely followed the Green’s Rodgrigo Capucho with 80. Liberal Democrat Matthew Sellars polled 36 votes. The turnout was 17.5 per cent on a day when Storm Ciaran lashed the UK.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ms Cosby is a communications worker and has never held public office before, but was a defeated Labour candidate in the Manor ward at the May local council elections. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I am absolutely delighted. It’s such an honour and I’m so happy that the people of Partington, Carringon and Sale West have voted and put their trust in me.

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“I’m excited to get cracking, supporting local residents and putting them first.”

Labour council leader and Ms Cosby’s new colleague, Coun Tom Ross, said: “It’s really strong level of support for Labour.

On the low turnout he said: “Clearly, we had a very big storm yesterday, so we were wondering, is anyone going to turn out, but those who did gave Labour substantial support.

“Frances will make an exceptional councillor. She brings a lot of experience from her job role and as a political activist. She has got a real understanding of the issues that Partington, Carrington and Sale West face and she’ll be a real champion and